Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover-Chapter 218: [] The Evening Bell and Breakfast

Opening his eyes, the distant sound of a bell rang out.

Although it was a bell that could be heard every night recently, only by listening carefully could one understand the grandeur of the bell and the solemnity of death.

No death, no life (sound). Only with death can there be life (sound).

This place is not the land of the living, but the valley of the abyss, the darkness of death.

"The Valley Trial..." Sakatsuki, transformed into a shadow, murmured softly. In his hand was no longer the spear forged from his soul, but a rusty short knife that had been by his side since he awoke.

Although not too dull, if his technique wasn't precise, the blade would be chipped after cutting through two or three people.

So—before losing his weapon, he must make progress.

After receiving Shiki Ryougi's reminder, Sakatsuki no longer faced the trial with a casual attitude. Instead, he walked steadily toward the first enemy at the entrance—a heavily armored cavalryman on a warhorse.

If he had a spear in hand, with Diarmuid's exquisite spear skills, Sakatsuki could have tangled with the cavalryman for a moment before piercing him through.

But now, he had voluntarily sealed away his 'external tools,' choosing instead to observe with his eyes and solve problems with the short knife.

This was the true meaning of the trial—in the valley where the boundary between life and death was blurred, he would use his countless lives to seek the possibility of a one-hit kill.

The wind flowed through the silent valley, entering the evening bell hanging in the bell tower. The ancient inscriptions hummed, causing the air to tremble.

Listen, for whom does the bell toll?

Dong... Dong... Dong...

***

Kuonji Residence, a certain room.

The door opened silently. There was no light, not even a shadow, only a pair of clear black eyes glowing faintly with magical light, allowing a certain girl to move freely in the darkness.

Looking at the 'boy' sitting in the middle of the empty room, bandaged and with his eyes tightly shut, the girl who blended into the darkness frowned deeply.

There were three things that Alice Kuonji, the witch, could not tolerate.

First, she hated humans—super, ultra, hated humans (Aoko: ?).

Second, she hated the Asian habit of taking off shoes when entering a house. Whether it was slippers or bare feet, the dragging sound on the carpet was unbearable to her.

Third, she hated others touching her things, especially the mansion left to her by her mother. It was absolutely her biggest taboo.

And Mr. Sakatsuki, who had revealed his human identity, left his bandages dragging on the floor, making a similar sound, and broke into her house in the middle of the night—without a doubt, it was as if he was dancing in Alice's minefield.

The only reason she hadn't destroyed him outright was—

She was no match for him.

Although she had thrown out 'Diddle Diddle' before being caught, creating a battlefield suitable for combat, 'Tweedle Dee & Dum' were pierced through the heart by countless swords the moment they appeared; 'Scratch Dumpty' chose herself as the target the next moment; before her Mystic Eyes could activate, she was grabbed and brought to the side of the magus who looked like a child, losing her ability to fight.

"Give me a place to stay, Miss Alice." The bandaged monster, who seemed more like an ancient being than a child, said.

"For the defeated, this condition is already quite lenient. I hope you won't disappoint us both."

Even though Alice deliberately assigned him an empty room with nothing in it, the uninvited guest readily agreed and even fell into a deep sleep without locking the door.

Alice Kuonji silently raised her finger, the pure magical energy of the witch gathering at her fingertip.

With the magical crests spread all over her body, the Gandr she condensed was powerful enough to rival a large-caliber bullet. If it hit the head, even the most powerful magus would lose the ability to move for a period of time, giving Alice a chance to deal with this strange guy...

A drop of cold sweat slid down her temple.

Her Ploys were frantically sounding alarms. Even without them, as a witch, Alice could feel the sudden oppressive force.

It was as if she had stepped into a dragon's lair.

It was as if a hungry beast had locked onto its prey.

It was as if she was being watched by an endless abyss.

—And she, too, was staring into the abyss.

Her brain raced with fear, her eyes frozen as they stared at the 'enemy' before her, her limbs as heavy as lead and unable to move.

The person before her had not awakened. So, what was it that made her shiver?

A pre-set spell? A triggered mystic code? Or... a familiar hidden in the room?

The magical energy at her fingertips dissipated. The black witch slowly retreated, disappearing from the room as if she had never been there.

Only when the somewhat stumbling footsteps disappeared down the hallway did the darkness in the room begin to flow again.

The 'beast' that had enveloped the entire room in shadow stretched lazily, then lay down and continued to doze.

***

6:30 AM.

Even though she hadn't slept well the night before, Alice still woke up punctually from her light slumber.

Even on the most chaotic mornings for ordinary people, she could move with the precision and quietness of a self-disciplined doll.

It was just that once she remembered the events of last night, her originally calm mood was filled with irritation.

Being defeated was one thing, but being scared off during a late-night assassination attempt...

So now, that sticky plaster that she couldn't beat or drive away was still clinging to her house...

With her heart full of frustration, Alice even pushed open the door with reluctance, as if outside her safe room wasn't her mansion, but the apocalypse.

Taking several minutes longer than usual to reach the living room, intending to have a cup of tea to calm down, she found that someone had already taken over the space—no longer wrapped in bandages, wearing a black coat, the white-haired boy sat quietly on the sofa, looking up at the sound.

"Good morning, Miss Alice."

"..." Alice's eyes were as dead as could be, but Sakatsuki continued with a smile.

"Breakfast is ready and placed in the sunroom. I'm really sorry for intruding last night. At least allow me to express my apologies with a meal."

No.

Rejected.

Please leave.

She instinctively wanted to say these words, but the boy's smile was like sunlight, dispelling the negative emotions in Alice's heart.

Rosy-cheeked Youth, passive effect activated.

Judgment: Critical Success!

Even though Alice was a witch, Sakatsuki's high attractiveness was also a form of 'beauty.' And appreciating beautiful things always brings peace to one's heart.

So, Miss Alice didn't say much. She turned and walked toward the sunroom, inwardly deciding that if the breakfast didn't satisfy her, she would fight again or call for reinforcements to drive this guy out of the mansion.

However, the moment she stepped into the sunroom, the witch's mouth opened slightly, letting out a silent exclamation.

Wow...

What an exquisite breakfast this was.

The sausages, their skins crispy and pierced with a fork, glistened with oil. The juicy red onions, the appetizing baked beans, the perfectly fried bacon, the golden toast, the sunny-side-up eggs resembling ox eyes, and the thick, vibrant fried salted tomatoes.

Though it was just one plate, it gave a unique sense of satisfaction and abundance, subtly catering to a girl's desire not to eat too much. Clearly, the chef was quite considerate.

For Alice, who adhered to individualism and whose previous breakfasts could be euphemistically described as simple—honestly, just a piece of hard, dry toast that took less than two seconds to prepare—such a breakfast had been absent for a long time.

Picking up the knife and fork, Alice suddenly understood why Aoko liked to say things like 'I'll eat now' before meals.

"I... I'll eat now..."

***

Note: In Italian, the appearance of a sunny-side-up egg is described as 'uova all'occhio di bue,' which means 'ox eye.'

***

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